Oldham

Oldham's population grew between the last two censuses. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion, ethnicity and housing tenure.

The population passed 220,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Oldham increased by 3.5%, from just over 217,000 to 225,000.

The addition of about 7,600 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Oldham was home to, on average, 11 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Oldham stood out from other areas for children

In Oldham, the proportion came down from 56% in 2001 to 55% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 59% to 61%.

The proportion of households with children in Oldham remained close to 34%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents increased from 10% to 11%.

The proportion of households without children was lower than across the North West

Percentage of households that without children across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Oldham

The number of people in Oldham that described themselves as Christian increased from about 160,000 in 2001 to just over 130,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 73% to 60% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the North West (from 78% to 67%) and the average across England (from 72% to 59%).

The number of people in Oldham that described themselves as Muslim increased from about 24,000 in 2001 to about 40,000 in 2011 (from 11% to 18%). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 19,000 to just over 36,000 (from 8.9% to 16%).

About 12,000 people (6.5%) did not state their religion, down from just over 14,000 in 2001 (5.6%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Christian in Oldham decreased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Oldham by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Oldham

The number of people in Oldham from the White ethnic groups increased from about 190,000 in 2001 to about 170,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 86% to 78% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the North West (from 94% to 90%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Oldham from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 26,000 in 2001 to just over 43,000 in 2011 (from 12% to 19%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 2,500 to about 4,100 (from 1.1% to 1.8%).

Just under 2,800 people (0.6%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from about 1,200 in 2001 (1.2%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Oldham decreased by 8.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Oldham by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Oldham that rented privately increased from 6.3% to 12% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in five (21%) households lived in social housing, compared with 23% in 2001. The percentage of Oldham households that owner their home decreased from 68% to 65%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 15% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Oldham increased by 5.9 percentage points

Percentage of households in Oldham, the North West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Oldham residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11% to 6.9% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (78%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 66% in 2001. The percentage of Oldham residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23% to 15%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Oldham decreased by 4.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Oldham, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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